Los Angeles, California

Entertainment capital of the world

Pacific Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro

U.S. News (2025)

#82 Best Places to Live

Forbes (2024)

#3 Best Cities for Entertainment Jobs

WhereAtHome Score

60.9

D-

out of 100

Overview

Los Angeles is the center of the entertainment industry and one of the world's most diverse cities. The sprawling metro offers beaches, mountains, and desert within hours. Traffic, high costs, and air quality are challenges, but career opportunities in media, tech, and creative industries are unmatched.

Key Highlights

  • Entertainment industry capital
  • Extremely diverse population and cuisines
  • Beaches, mountains, and desert access
  • Year-round warm weather
  • Growing tech sector (Silicon Beach)
  • World-class museums and culture

Key Metrics

Population 2024

3,822,238

Source: Census ACS

$946,268

Source: Zillow ZHVI

$74,891

Source: Census ACS

31.4 min

Source: Census ACS

Walk Score 2025

68

Source: Walk Score

School Rating

2025

C (5.4/10)

Source: Curated

173 (100 = U.S. avg)

Source: Curated

2024 Presidential Election

Los Angeles County (county-level results)

65%
32%
Democrat 2,417,109
Republican 1,189,862
Leans D+32.9

Source: County-level results from MIT Election Data + Science Lab. Learn more

Climate

Summer High

84°F

Winter Low

48°F

Annual Rainfall

15"

Sunny Days

284

Amenities & Infrastructure

480+ Parks

Green spaces and recreation

50 Major Hospitals

Healthcare access

20 Universities

Higher education institutions

Public Transit Available

Bus, rail, or metro service

Major Employers

USC UCLA Kaiser Permanente Disney NBCUniversal

Score Breakdown

6 of 6 score factors available. Missing factors are excluded and available weights are rescaled.

Housing Affordability 21.7/100

Median home value relative to national average (Weight: 20%)

Income vs Housing 21.8/100

How affordable housing is relative to local incomes (Weight: 20%)

Commute Time 38.6/100

Average commute time compared to national average (Weight: 15%)

Crime 35/100

Overall crime levels based on FBI crime statistics (Weight: 20%)

Walkability 68/100

Walk Score — ease of daily errands on foot (Weight: 15%)

Purchasing Power 31.9/100

Median income relative to national average, adjusted for cost of living (Weight: 10%)

WhereAtHome Score 60.9

Location

Los Angeles, CA (34.0522, -118.2437)
View on Google Maps

Compare with another city

Start Comparison

Last Updated: 2026-07-01

Data sourced from U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow, FBI Crime Data Explorer, Walk Score, and Niche.